Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

My computer desktop background is a stunning view of the coastal town Cinque Terre. The pile of books on the coffee table is now comprised of Italian language and culture books. My memorized list of states and their capitals is slowly being replaced by the memorization of Italy's cities and their locations. I have refused commissions this summer so that I can make appropriate dresses for myself in which to walk the streets of Italy. In exactly one month I will be boarding a flight that will take me to Florence, Italy. Hopefully these facts sum up my excitement better than simple words could.

And now I am on a plane. My toes are doing the nervous dance within my boots. I have checked and rechecked both the packing list that I was given by the program and the list that I fashioned for myself (more like a super-specific costumers dressing list than a checklist). When this flight is over, I will be one third of the way to Florence and seeming galaxies away from my northern California homeland. The stresses of my summer internship in the costume shop of the nationally-acclaimed TheatreWorks Silicon Valley are behind me and a week of Chicago relaxation looms in front of me. Questions like, “why are you going to romance-language-speaking Italy when you’ve studied German for the last eight years?” from my family and friends (and the fact that I don’t have a good answer other than “I just want something different, new,”) will not dim the glowing ball of excitement that has been growing in my spirit. The fact that the only phrase I know in Italian is “io capisco un po l’italino” (I understand a little Italian) scares the living daylights out of my sister (a language junkie) but doesn’t bother me (much). I am embarking on an adventure. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? And that is a question that cannot be answered by anyone in any language. So I will leave the omniscience to God and simply sprout wings of faith and creativity to carry me forward.

I suppose I should attempt to paint a brief self-portrait for you, my lovely readers. I am a proud California girl! No, not the super-tan bikini-clad beach-goer that just popped into your head. I spend most of my time in a window-less costume shop trying to achieve my dreams of becoming a costume designer and protecting this ginger’s poor nose from the scorching California sun. After graduating high school, I made a dramatic move to Knox College in Galesburg, IL to study costume design. I learned about snow and how weather actually changes from season to season. I declared a theatre major and a double minor in German and studio art and eventually found a niche working in the costume shop. I am also an active member of the international women’s music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota and love playing intramural volleyball each fall. Beyond that…I am an adventurer, an explorer. I am ready to explore myself, the world and my relationship with the world. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?